Free WiFi

Why not make a directional antenna and point it at a transmitter?

Steve

ff wrote:

A "Cantenna" ? That would work fine for my desktop unit. But I like to carry the laptop around the house. I could try a cantenna connecting to my home wifi but I don't know what would do to the throughput, encrypting and decrypting twice.

Fred

I doubt you'd notice it.

Your lucky your community has enough for thought to establish a free local WiFi network. gary

First of all you are going to need an external antenna. No escaping that. I suggest you look at the EUB-362 :

It is about the size of a cigarette pack and runs off the USB port so it is not hard to carry around the house. I can get 3 bars off a basic hot spot half a mile away.

Also Linksys makes a "range expander". It's actually a 2-way repeater for wifi signals. It doesn't work with all providers but you can always take it back if it doesn't work. The larger Walmarts should have them. I think they're around $60.

What kind of range can these little receivers reach. I mean there is a Starbucks with free wireless about a half mile away as a crow flies but not line of sight. I have some tall trees. Could I mount one up there and a second one in the house?

Yes, it is a very progressive city. But the Google company is paying for the network. It is a pilot program and they plan on doing the entire city of San Francisco next, for profit.

Fred

Thanks Glenn, that might be just what I need.

Fred

"I think this is because of your belief in biological Marxism. As a genetic communist you feel that noticing behavioural patterns relating to race would cause a conflict with your belief in biological Marxism." Big Pete, famous Usenet Racist

1. The following is the original rec.crafts.metalworking charter, for reference.

Charter

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Charter -- REC.CRAFTS.METALWORKING

The USENET newsgroup, rec.crafts.metalworking, is a newsgroup which discusses various aspects of working with metal, such as (but not limited to):

machining, as on a lathe, milling machine, grinder, etc.; numerical control of such machines; welding, whether by gas, arc, mig, tig, thermite, or other methods; Metal joining, whether welding, brazing, soldering, riveting, screwing, folding, etc. (this section was added during the discussion) casting various metals by various methods; hardening/tempering various metals; blacksmithing/forging; spinning and hammer work; sheet metal work; jewelry-making; purchasing and/or reconditioning metalworking tools and machinery; interesting projects; books on metal technologies and history;

Example areas of interest:

knife/sword making; automotive repair; steam engine (model/scale, though full-sized discussions are welcome!); art work, such as bronze castings and sculptures; gunsmithing; toolmaking, such as for woodworking, further metalworking, etc.;

While the bulk of the discussion will probably be directed towards small-scale "home" shops, industrial/production discussions are also quite welcome.

That is conceivable but I bet the Starbucks would get a little pissed if you use it as your regular connection. :-) It really needs close to line of sight to get the best range though. If you got high enough and used a high gain directional antenna (like a Cantenna) it might work. The neat part is that you can run the USB cable 15' (30' with a powered USB hub in the middle) with no loss so you could mount it in the attic and reduce the amount of coax.

It is really intended to improve the connection in very marginal areas like the OP was talking about. My brother is temporarily living in his motor home and his laptop was getting a barely usable signal from the camp ground hotspot. I installed a EUB-362 for him with a little magnetic base antenna on the roof. Now he gets 5 bars off the hotspot and can see 8 or 9 other access points in the neighborhood.

I took the EUB-362 and a laptop on my last sailboat charter. Mounted an

8.5db omni antenna about 30' up the mast on a spreader and got an excellent signal from a hotspot almost 2 miles away. That was over water with no major obstructions however and the hotspot had a 180 degree directional antenna aimed out over the anchorage.

Yeah, really. Around here the cops arrest people using unrestricted WiFi sites for theft of services or some such nonsense -- and persist with the charges even after the site owner flatly tells them he doesn't mind.

That sounds more like urban legend, ... any documentation?

John Husvar wrote:

jk